4g. Case studies on establishing and running a rural or remote practice
Tracks
Stream 7
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| 14:05 - 14:50 |
| Room C2.5-2.6 (combined) |
Details
This session presents a practical case study on establishing and running a general practice in a remote Australian community, with a focus on the realities faced by practice owners. Drawing on lived experience, it explores the commercial, operational and leadership decisions required to build and sustain a viable practice in a high-need, low-resource environment.
The presentation will walk through the establishment phase, including assessing community need, determining an appropriate service model, and navigating infrastructure, staffing and regulatory requirements unique to remote settings. It will examine how remoteness, small population size and workforce scarcity influence business planning, risk management and clinical scope.
A central focus will be financial sustainability, including reliance on Medicare and incentive programs, mixed billing constraints, cash flow volatility, and the limits of capacity to achieve scale in remote contexts. Workforce recruitment, retention and wellbeing will be discussed from an ownership perspective, including managing professional isolation, succession planning and the personal load of clinical leadership.
The session will conclude by reflecting on lessons learned and system-level policy settings that impact remote practice viability.
The presentation will walk through the establishment phase, including assessing community need, determining an appropriate service model, and navigating infrastructure, staffing and regulatory requirements unique to remote settings. It will examine how remoteness, small population size and workforce scarcity influence business planning, risk management and clinical scope.
A central focus will be financial sustainability, including reliance on Medicare and incentive programs, mixed billing constraints, cash flow volatility, and the limits of capacity to achieve scale in remote contexts. Workforce recruitment, retention and wellbeing will be discussed from an ownership perspective, including managing professional isolation, succession planning and the personal load of clinical leadership.
The session will conclude by reflecting on lessons learned and system-level policy settings that impact remote practice viability.
Speaker
Prof Charlotte Hespe AM
Head Of Gp And Primary Care Research
UNDA
Chairperson
14:05 - 14:50
Mr Alex Benn
St George Medical Centre
Case studies on establishing and running a rural or remote practice
14:05 - 14:50
Dr Karen Benn
St George Medical Centre
Case studies on establishing and running a rural or remote practice
14:05 - 14:50
A/Prof Michael Clements
Chair, Rural
RACGP
Case studies on establishing and running a rural or remote practice
14:05 - 14:50
A/Prof Michael Clements is an experienced Townsville based General Practitioner and practice owner with a background in health leadership and clinical and corporate governance. A/Prof Clements has accrued a wide variety of skills and special interests in his time with the Royal Australian Air Force and then with QLD Health as Director of Medical Services at Ingham Hospital before opening his private practices in Townsville while concurrently working for the QLD Rural Generalist Training Pathway as an advisor. Having worked in rural, remote and overseas clinical environments during and after his fellowship training Michael now gets his ‘rural fix’ by flying himself and other clinicians to remote towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria delivering GP clinics. Clinical interests include veterans’ health, mental health, chronic disease and palliative care.
Dr Jonathan (Casey) Going
Director
MBSPro
Case studies on establishing and running a rural or remote practice
14:05 - 14:50
Dr Casey Going is an Australian General Practitioner, practice owner, and healthcare entrepreneur based in regional Queensland. He is the co-director of Condamine Medical Centre and works across both community general practice and hospital settings. Dr Going holds Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and has completed a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Internal Medicine, reflecting his strong interest in both clinical excellence and health service leadership.
He is the founder of MBSPro and a senior educator with Business for Doctors, where he focuses on ethical Medicare Benefits Schedule optimisation, practice sustainability, and improving access to care in disadvantaged communities. Dr Going regularly delivers education to GPs, registrars, and practice owners on billing compliance, workflow efficiency, and the responsible use of AI in healthcare. He is also actively involved in registrar supervision and rural workforce development.
Prof Ewen McPhee
General Practitioner
Emerald Medical Group
Case studies on establishing and running a rural or remote practice
14:05 - 14:50
